If you are considering buying a puppy for a Christmas gift, we urge you to think carefully before impulsively bringing a companion animal into your home. A pet is a living being and involves long term adult commitment. A dog is not a toy, not a disposable item to be discarded when he becomes inconvenient, or the kids lose interest in him. Please avoid the heartache of a poorly thought out pet purchase, and don’t let the kids con you into a decision you will regret. The introduction of a pet into a household should be a total family decision that has been discussed, planned for, and researched before the purchase or adoption.
“The perfect Christmas gift” illustrates how a well intention, impulse purchase can bring heartache to both the family and the animal:
“I am a dog with a story to tell… I was unlucky enough to be born in a filthy wire cage, in a dreadful puppy mill. and was soon sold to a pet store. I was one of those “designer dogs—all of the rage,” and was bought for a Christmas present for the kids, but that didn’t last long before I hit the skids. At first everything was fine; I lived in a nice house and played with the children….it was a great life for awhile. Then things changed, and I was thrown outside to live in the yard. Maybe it was because I shed a little, and once I piddled on the rug, but no explanation or reason was given why. When the sun came up, I barked all day, but no one ever came out to play. Soon they said I I was too big for the house, and too much trouble to train, so I just sit at the end of a chain, day after day, year after year. The seasons change….I freeze in the winter, and swelter in the summer…my joints are sore, and my eyes don’t see as well any more. My fur is matted and provides a home for the fleas. I bark and I cry; I cry and I bark….it is a sad existence. Sometimes I have water….sometimes I don’t. I hope that you think of me when you see a dog on a chain and know that dog is lonely, hurting, and in pain. He was probably that perfect Christmas gift too, now forgotten and alone. Perhaps you could stop awhile and pat him on the head, or just sit beside him and talk to him , offering him a friendly word. It’s sure to be a kindness that he may not have experienced for awhile.. I guess some folks just don’t understand that a dog is not for Christmas….he is for life.”
If you have discussed, and planned for adding a dog to your heart and home, and are willing to make a long term commitment, spending a good amount of time and energy with the dog and have enough space and money to properly care for his needs, go to your area shelter or rescue group and talk to them. They can help you choose the best dog for your situation. (Do NOT buy from a pet store…you will be supporting the puppy mill industry.)
You will never know the joy that dogs bring to the world until you have one of your own. They really do deserve the title of “man’s (and woman’s) best friend. They are loyal, intelligent, devoted and affectionate, and are known to improve both our physical and mental health. Dogs keep a lonely night, less lonely; they treat us like celebrities; they make us smile; they teach us the meaning of unconditional love. A faithful dog will play with you….or cry…he’ll gladly starve to stay with you nor ever question why, and when you’re feeling out of sorts, somehow he’ll understand. His blind, implicit faith in you is matched by his unconditional love.
“Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe. We are the focus of their love and faith and trust. They serve us in return for scraps. It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made. ” (Roger Caras)
